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Mar 13, 2015

Join us for OPS on Saturday March 21st

Piping and drumming competition begins at 4:30pm and entertainment begins at 7:30pm. There will be food and beverage available for purchase throughout the evening. Including pizza, salad, bread, and homemade. Beverages include Scottish Ales, Oregon beer and wine, and soft drinks. In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, we will also be serving three specially selected Irish whisky.

Our judge and Featured Performer is Keith Paton.

Keith is originally from Kansas City, Missouri where he began his piping studies at the age of eight with his father, Iain MacDonald Paton. Later, he studied with Roddy MacDonald, Delaware; John Wilson, Toronto; and both John MacFadyen and Seumas MacNeill in Scotland.

As a teenager Keith became Pipe Major of his local band, the Kansas City St. Andrew Pipe Band. Under his leadership the band earned a second place prize in Grade 2 at the Canadian National Exposition in Toronto, among many other accomplishments.

Since moving to Seattle in 1994, Keith has been active in the Pacific Northwest piping community. From 1997 to 1999 he played with the Abbotsford Police Pipe Band, competing with the band twice in Grade 1 at the World Pipe Band Championships. Subsequently he joined the World Champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band playing with the band from 2000 to 2006 and then again from 2010 to 2014. Keith retired from SFU after the 2014 season.

Keith is an approved adjudicator with the British Columbia Pipers' Association. He is an active adjudicator at piping competitions throughout the Pacific Northwest and serves on the BCPA grading committee. In real life, Keith is a teacher and administrator at Highline College in Des Moines, WA.

Our Local Hero is Elizabeth Cameron.

Elizabeth as been playing the pipes for over 10 years. She is a Grade piper. Elizabeth grew up in South Eastern North Carolina, but has also lived in Texas, Hawaii, and Arizona. She is a home health occupational therapist. Beside piping, she likes to read, travel, hike, camp and take photos.

Portland Metro Pipe Band will also be joining us for the evening.

Portland Metro Pipe Band is Oregon’s only Grade II competitive pipe band. Formed in 2006, the band is led by Pipe Major Mark Tomasetti and Drum Sergeant Andrew Finley. Its members come from throughout the Pacific Northwest and include a number of award-winning pipers and drummers. The band wears the Muted Red Fraser tartan.